US Senate confirms Marco Rubio as new secretary of state
The U.S. Senate confirmed Marco Rubio as the next secretary of state by a rare bipartisan consensus on Jan. 20, making him the first confirmed high-level member of the new Trump administration.
Rubio will oversee the implementation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, which is expected to entail a quick push to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Trump has sent mixed signals about his approach to ending the conflict. Rubio recently said that both Russia and Ukraine would have to make concessions to achieve a peace deal, possibly indicating an agreement that would allow Moscow to hold on to at least some of the occupied territories.
Previously, Rubio publicly praised the bravery of Ukrainian defenders but was among the 15 Republican lawmakers in the Senate who voted against the $61 billion aid package for Ukraine in early 2024. Its delay severely hampered Ukraine's fight against Russian forces.
Rubio replaced Antony Blinken, who, in the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden, has played a leading role in U.S.-Ukraine relations throughout Russia's full-scale invasion launched in early 2022.
Officials close to Trump maintain that U.S. military aid to Ukraine will persist, focusing on empowering Kyiv to negotiate from a position of strength.
Chris York
